What does a Travel & Food Writer aboard a Baltic Cruise do? He cruises, walks, dines and makes merry over a couple of weeks, soaking in the Sun and Culture all around. š Do check out some epicurean fare with a few monumental discoveries in tow. Magazine: Travel & Leisure Images & Words: Nolan Mascarenhas
Category: travels
Coffee Cherry Tea
CĆ”scara also known as Coffee cherry tea- is a herbal tea made from the dried skins of the coffee fruit. ā š Often it is more than the skins that are used, and include the dried berries of the coffee plant that remain after the coffee beans have been collected from within. This native origin…
Happy Paper Planes
I fly like paper,get high like planes….’ Sometimes ‘candidness’ in everything ones does, gets the true uninhibited version of what our souls truly are. At least on most count. Given our fast pace, well thanks to Covid19-21, Life has taken a minor pause in this ‘speed of light’ world we are used to. This is…
Goa Garnishes in the New Year
2020 indeed, has been the Year of the Rat. While we scurried away to safety in the comfort of our home- The Rise of the Home Chef took prominence with many restaurants having to shut shop due to the pandemic. 2020 bounced back a little, with restaurants opening up while patrons thronged them with support….
A āWhirlwindā Experience at Sea
Statutory Warning! The next 1282 words, describe a ‘Whirlwind experience‘ aboard a floating world in the middle of the ocean. Granted its not an apt choice of words and I got home all accounted for, it did feel like just that- the minute I boarded the Mariner of the Seas by Royal Caribbean – a…
The Suitcase Diaries: Legend of BanarasĀ
Varanasi, also known as Banaras, plays home to much that is magical and mystical. A journey through the core of Uttar Pradesh’s ascetic region, highlighting why this destination is one worth exploring Varanasi, also known as Kashi or Banaras, is the world’s oldest continually inhabited city and has been a cultural centre of North India…
Tolerance or Menace?Ā
As a travel writer and consultant, i am of the firm belief that a place is defined by the holistic society that comprises it lending itself to the aura and experience of ‘tourists & guests’ that visit it. The burning question today in the Times of India. Is the menace of hawkers & beggars on…
M.P.D @ Lafayette GourmetĀ
Alter ego personality clashes are uncommon among most….. FALSE!!! In my opinion- everyone has at least two personalities within whether they identify with it or not. Now take someone with Multiple Palate Disorder and an overriding sensation of being spoilt for choice, with 11 cuisines fighting for ones palate sample at La Fayette Gourmet, Dubai Mall…
Ready.Set.JumpĀ
āWelcome to the jungle,ā said the spider to the fly. You enter at ease, with dense scenic foliage around. Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary- a wildlife-protected sanctuary has an eclectic range of flora and fauna species nestled deep in the heart of South Goa. Painted billboards along the way, a guide to the forest dwellers inhabiting the…
Tea, The Bard & MeĀ
Hello from Abu Dhabi. What am I doing here? Well of course I’ve come for a spot of tea to Shakespeare & Company- a Victorian era themed restaurant offering a diverse menu of reputed international fare with a elegant French patisserie for most of their short acts. The minute one steps into the gateway doors,…
mr. NObody and The GoanĀ
Hello one and all. Currently living out of my suitcase, managed to have a lovely chat with the folks at The Goan recently. A lovely tete-e-tete with Kurt Bento about the world of mr. NObody and his views on the world of gastronomy. The full interview with mr. NObody. What prompted you to do this culinary…
I want to EAT the WORLD & I want it NOW!!!!
I’m on a trip. No, I am not under the influence of psychotropic substances or reaffirming my existence as a shaman in an alternate universe. However i believe at times I am almost there, when listening to one of my all time favourite artist- James Douglas Morrison. A poetic, retrospective frame of mind. And right…
Planet Hollywood Hotel- it’s here!
Let’s dig deep and ask ourselves- are we star crazy? I’m not referring to the constellations or stars in the skies rather all the Stars in ‘Woods’ ranging from Holly,Bolly,Tolly and perhaps someplace in the world-Molly. Let’s play the Instant two second reaction game? Ok! Here goes.What happens to you when you see a known…
GOA Calling: A Homestay GuideĀ
Every once in a while a magnum opus project comes ones way. For me this was in the form of the latest trends of #homestays for #timesofindia for the season 2015-2016. It was an arduous task traversing the length and breadth of this fine state of ours to being to you the top 20 #homestays…
Spa’z #staycation & how!
I remember reading the diary of Axl Rose (from Guns’n’Roses fame), wherein one of his mates said- ‘one can never comprehend the time in his world. Your on the Axl’s time zone’. I get the same feeling every time I finish an out of town #foodtrail. This last one in Mumbai though thoroughly satisfying, had…
An Ode to forgotten HospitalityĀ
I love house parties. The madness that prevails before the guests arrive to ensure one puts their best foot forward- silverware polished, best China laid out, wine cellar stacked and the glassware spotless. It’s a lovely feeling to have close ones over on a pre planned date to ensure all is in order just like…
You want a Maserati?…you better work,work!!
Yes I work. I blog. I ride. I travel. Not to be confused with one another. And, on days like these, I’m in the hustle and bustle of Mumbai city for yet another client meeting. It’s funny, how at societal do’s, folk greet and raise the age old question, ‘You blog for a living? While…
And then there was ‘Light’
This is going to be a pictorial representation for the primary purpose of ‘art’. After all, art, is interpretive and can never be solely explained. Whilst the dishes do the talking, I shall parallel echo my sentiments of a night at Ziya at the Oberoi Mumbai. Persian for ‘splendour & light’ and the labor of love…
Mr.Worldwide
If your wondering about the title- as much as I would like to be Mr. Worldwide aka Pitbull, I still am mr. NObody the last time I checked. Here’s a candid confession about the beauty and art of eating a buffet (learnt the hard way of course) You are spoilt for choice and neglect is never…
A Date with Opa’s ArakĀ
I’ve dated a German before. Well, a few actually! Such warm and reserved folk and so dedicated to a cause. So when I heard, I was heading to OPA Bar & Cafe it perplexed me a little(OPA in German means Grandfather). I enter with a few friends only to have the fragrance of exotic mixes…
mr.NObody 